Backpack with protective shell for safely transporting a child

Abstract

A protective child carrier has an upper shell having a rigid outer surface and an expanded foam inner surface, the lower part of which is coupled to a lower shell also having a rigid outer surface and expanded foam inner surface. The upper shell and lower shell joined with an articulating fabric joint, the upper shell and lower shell attached to a semi-rigid back support at the top using removable fabric sidewalls which have removable attachments at the semi-rigid back support, and are attached to the semi-rigid back supports. The semi-rigid back support has shoulder pads attached at the top and bottom of the rigid back support.

We claim: 
     
       1. A protective child carrier comprising:
 an upper shell having a rigid outer surface and an expanded foam inner surface having an extent sufficient to support the head of a child being carried; 
 a lower shell having a rigid outer surface and an expanded foam inner surface for supporting a lower body extent below the head of a child being carried; 
 an articulating joint coupling the bottom section of the upper shell to the upper section of the lower shell; 
 a back support coupled to the upper shell through removable side curtains, the removable side curtains limiting the range of motion of the articulating joint when in place; 
 shoulder straps coupled from the top of the back support to the bottom of the back support; 
 the shell rigid outer surface being thinner than the thickness of the expanded foam inner surface. 
 
     
     
       2. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the expanded foam is expanded polystyrene. 
     
     
       3. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the expanded foam includes a segmented gel pad. 
     
     
       4. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the shell rigid outer surface is formed from a mixture of resin and glass fibers. 
     
     
       5. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the shell rigid outer surface if formed from polycarbonate. 
     
     
       6. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the shell rigid outer surface is formed from polypropylene. 
     
     
       7. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the shell rigid outer surface is formed from carbon fiber. 
     
     
       8. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the side curtains include a removable fastener. 
     
     
       9. The protective child carrier of  claim 1  where the articulating joint is a fabric bridge separating the upper shell and the lower shell. 
     
     
       10. A protective child carrier comprising:
 an upper shell coupled to a lower shell with a fabric joint; 
 the upper shell having an extent to support a head of a child being carried; 
 the upper shell having an impact resistant outer surface and an expanded foam inner surface, the upper shell having a plurality of apertures for the movement of air from the outer surface to the inner surface; 
 the lower shell having an extent to support a region below a head of a child being carried, the lower shell having an impact resistant outer surface and an expanded foam inner surface, the lower shell having a plurality of apertures for the movement of air from the outer surface to the inner surface; 
 a back support having shoulder straps, the back support coupled to the lower shell with removable flexible side curtains, the removable flexible side curtains thereby allowing the upper shell to articulate away from the back support using the fabric joint for placing or removing a child from the protective child carrier. 
 
     
     
       11. The protective child carrier of  claim 10  where said impact resistant outer surface is at least one of: fiberglass resin mixed with glass fiber, polyethylene, polypropylene, or carbon fiber. 
     
     
       12. The protective child carrier of  claim 10  where said expanded foam is expanded polystyrene foam. 
     
     
       13. The protective child carrier of  claim 10  where said upper shell side curtains are removable and have an aperture which is operative on a flanged surface of the back support. 
     
     
       14. The protective child carrier of  claim 10  where the expanded foam includes a segmented gel pad.